Review of Santiago 20 Camera Case by Lowepro

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I am a big fan of Lowepro cases. Pretty much as soon as I get a new camera or device, I buy a Lowepro case to go with it. Lowepro has always impressed me with it's thoughtful designs, good looks, and good value. That being said, the Santiago 20 EVA-padded foam case just missed on being a great case for ultracompact cameras.

PROS:

Great hard shell protection

Includes low profile belt loop

Also includes shoulder strap

Soft interior to prevent LCD's from scratching

CONS:

Poor zipper design

Closed belt loop

Amazon only provides the exterior dimensions so here are the interior dimensions first:

4.1W X 0.8D X 2.6H in.

Overall, I thought Lowepro did a good job of designing an EVA case that will work well for many subcompact cameras available today. It provides great protection in a small but solid case. When you hold the empty case, you really notice the heft, but not so much that it is cumbersome to carry. Unfortunately, I am forced to use the Santiago 20 case very very carefully. What normally is a strength in Lowepro design, is the Santiago 20's drawback.

The zippers are a chore to open and close at the corners. It glides smooth enough at the bottom but once you get to the corners, they stick. You have to really give it a strong tug to get past the corners. This poor operation dampens an otherwise good case. Can you imagine while trying to close the case, it slips from your hands and your camera goes flying out of the case? Also, this is just a personal preference, but the low profile belt loop is closed, meaning you must unbuckle your belt to thread it in and out. I prefer the velcro belt loops that allow you to put it on and off your belt while still holding up your pants.

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This case is perfect for my new Canon SX230 HS. The camera fits snugly without moving around or extra bulk on the case, and there is a little pocket that will fit a battery or SD card (or both if you want to cram). The spare battery sits nicely next to the lens barrel, so the total thickness doesn't change.

Once zipped up, the hard shell case with the camera in it feels very solid, but is still small enough to fit in my pocket. It has a belt loop if you are into that sort of thing...(I'm not)... but it is small and flat and stays out of my way, so that's a positive.

The camera's wrist strap can hang out between the two zippers. I like to leave one zipper all the way to one side, then it's super quick to unzip the other and get the camera out. I have always used Velcro cases for my cameras for fast access, but I feel like the zipper on this one is well built and I can get the camera out just as fast plus it protects better than a Velcro case.

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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program Last year I bought my wife an excellent digital camera. She is pleased with the camera but wants to safeguard it from being broken. I thought that a good, secure camera case could be the solution.

The Lowepro Santiago Camera Case is acceptable but has several problems. First the case is a tight fit for the camera. It is hard to get the camera into elastic strap that acts as a holder to keep the camera secure.

Second, the zipper that closes the case works hard, even when case is empty. It is tough because of the hard padding, but the padding is necessary for protection.

Third, the shoulder strap has a latch on only one side of the case. If the hook eye loses strength the camera could fall. It would be better to have the weight distributed with a second tab. It is also tough to use when the case is hanging around your neck.

Fourth the belt loop is tight. The case fits but taking camera out when on belt is difficult. The belt loop however works better than the shoulder strap.

The Lowepro Santiago Camera Case does protect the camera well. It provides good padding. I plan to use this case to protect the camera while traveling. However, I will put the cased camera into a larger bag for safe transport.

As I suggested it is very hard to get the camera into the case. While struggling I took a picture of my thumb. Anyone want a good thumb print?

Honest reviews on Santiago 20 Camera Case by Lowepro

I was looking for well-fitting, high-quality case that would fit my new Canon Powershot S100 like a glove, but with just enough room for a spare battery and without having to fight to open and close it. The Lowepro Santiago 20 was perfect. I don't think the fit could be any more ideal, and I also like the features of the low-profile belt loop and lanyard/shoulder strap attachment ring.

I originally planned to attach a wrist strap to the attachment ring to make it a little more secure to tote around in-hand; however, I quickly realized that it was eaiser to simply let the camera's wrist strap poke out of the case between the zipper pulls and carry it from that. It's also easier to pull the camera out of the case and ensure you won't fumble it as you can already have its wrist strap in-hand.

The spare battery fits perfectly inside the interior accessory pocket at the opposite end of the lens protrusion of the Canon S100. It would also be reasonable to carry an extra sd card; though a slightly tighter fit.

A pleasant surprise was the elastic band inside the case. Though I wasn't originally clear on its function, I now realize that it serves to gently position the camera away from the inside shell of the case when you open it, therefore making the camera easier to pick up it doesn't get stuck in one half of the open case nice touch!

Couldn't be happier with this.

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Amazon listed this case as being for a Canon sx260 camera and one of the reviewers mentioned that it was a tight fit. I found that the camera was too large to fit in the case no way I was going to force it.